March 18th

March 18, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” One of the icons of the Whitley County Extension Office and the 4-H program is stepping down as of this afternoon.
Kay Walter has been the smiling face behind the counter, the secretary for the extension office, for â€ś23 1/2 years and eight daysâ€ť she said Wednesday, but sheâ€™s not counting.
Married to Steve Walter, Kay was a stay-at-home mom to their daughters Stephanie and Kathy before taking a job with L.M. Berry in Warsaw. When that business moved to Dayton, she applied for the extension office job.

March 18, 2011

Nearly two years ago at this time, Columbia City boys’ basketball was without a head coach as the offseason began.
The Eagles program stood at a crossroads with back-to-back losing seasons not what fans had grown accustomed to.
Meanwhile, over in Valparaiso, Drew Benedict, an eighth grader at the time, received a text from longtime friend Derek Hinen.
“Hey, the job is open again. Just have your dad come back.”

March 18, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” In a time when funds are tight and belts are being cinched to the last eyelet, one Whitley County entity continues to be funded year in and year out thanks to a 15-year-old compromise.
On Monday, September McConnell, Executive Director of the Whitley County Community Foundation, will give a report to the countyâ€™s Board of Commissioners about just such a fund â€” the Whitley County/Whitley Memorial EMS Fund.

March 18, 2011

The unique golf course well-known around the area for its night golf has new ownership running things.
Roughly a month ago, former owner Kent Miller sold the golf course — on the corner of state Route 9 and county road 500 north — to Russel Fahl.
According to son-in-law Ryan Cook, who will be running the course with his wife, the course was something that interested Fahl as a former resident of the area.

March 17, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” The road to a college education just got a little bit easier for some Whitley County students thanks to a partnership announced Wednesday between the Whitley County Community Foundation and the Questa Foundation for Education.
The Questa Foundation, based in Fort Wayne, announced that it is expanding its Questa Scholars Program into Whitley, DeKalb, Huntington and Kosciusko counties, and hopes to expand to the rest of northeast Indiana by 2013.

March 17, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” Area Republicans gathered Wednesday night to mingle, discuss successes and strategies and recognize their own at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner, held at the Eagleâ€™s Nest in Columbia City.
Party Chairman Sen. Jim Banks took the podium before the dinner, and prior to the arrival of Keynote Speaker Gov. Mitch Daniels and called on his fellow Republicans to find his replacement.
â€śWe are looking for new leadership of the (county) party,â€ť Banks said.

March 17, 2011

Lucas Allen Lang, infant son of Cayala A. Lang and John M. Galligher, died at 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at Parkview Whitley Hospital where he was born at 5:04 p.m.
Surviving relatives also include grandparents, Robert L. Lang Sr. of Churubusco, Angela S. Lang of Churubusco, Michael A. and Christina M. Galligher of Albion; and great-grandparents, Adabelle Lang of Roanoke, Margaret Simons of Iowa, Raymond Carnes of Arizona and Eleanor Galligher of Avilla.
The graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Park Annex Cemetery.

March 17, 2011

June Pauline (Leiter) Hadley, 86, a resident of rural LaOtto and widow of Vaughan A. Hadley, passed away at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.
Mrs. Hadley was born June 3, 1924 in Noble County, a daughter of Clarence Samuel and Pearl Edith (Wood) Leiter. She was a widow of Vaughan A. Hadley
The surviving relatives include her daughter, Sandra S. Hadley; two sisters, Mary (Louie) Peduto and Dorothy Martin; a brother, Ray (Patsy) Leiter.

March 17, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” Gov. Mitch Danielsâ€™ flair for levity and sarcasm drew countless laughs as Indianaâ€™s top elected official poked fun at boycotting House Democrats, the President and even himself Wednesday night as the keynote speaker for Whitley Countyâ€™s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.
â€śWherever I go, I get asked a lot of questions about Indiana,â€ť said Daniels, adding that he fields numerous inquiries about the stateâ€™s budget surplus. He said he tells people thereâ€™s a reason why Indiana is different from some states whose financial ledgers are in the red.